The Nordic City

Wind energy Bay

image: van Paridon x de Groot

The opportunities of the energy transitionHow can the transition from fossil to renewable energy be a driving force for the economic and spatial development of the city and region of Groningen? And what are the next steps in bringing the development perspectives towards implementation? IABR–Atelier Groningen presents the opportunities for economic and spatial development that present themselves when city and region act on the energy transition. Four spatial design proposals are developed: Energy Port, Biobased Economy for the North, Groningen Smart Energy City and Sustainable and Safe Villages.

The perspectives are based on an exploration of the economic opportunities the transition to renewable energy in 2035 can produce and show a future for Groningen as a coherent urban region with a strong relations between the capital city and the surrounding villages and ready for the Next Economy: the Nordic City.

Biobased Delfzijl

image: Maat ontwerpers

The Nordic CityNordic City tells a story about a future that is both viable and desirable and can actually become a reality. This story puts a firm spin on the image of Groningen by highlighting the opportunities of a region that is now mostly known for its struggle with persistent problems like earthquake damage and demographic and economic shrinkage. It is a story that can rekindle the confidence necessary to draw investments to the region, to realize the energy transition, to repair the earthquake damage and turn lost ground into a head start. Nordic City comprises proposals that are ready for implementation as well as far-reaching concepts that will take a little more time. Rather than being visionary, the story paves the way for new projects and encourages policy- and decision making. It shows that city and region can take a leading role if all parties and stakeholders involved are serious about the energy transition.

Economic opportunities and spatial qualityIn the wider context, the energy region of Groningen clearly stands out. With its extensive energy-based knowledge infrastructure and logistic hub and landing point for power and data in the Eemshaven sea port, the region can develop into an energy hub that serves a large area.The economic effect of the energy transition becomes substantial when we take the connections into account that the energy sector can make with other strong urban and regional economic sectors: agriculture, chemistry, knowledge institutes, ICT, and construction.

Wind landscape as experience

image: van Paridon x de Groot

By approaching the energy transition in conjunction with other spatial challenges, such as the decline in population, the quality of the Groningen landscape can be strengthened.Atelier Groningen shows that the energy transition will greatly influence residential environments, but that the integration of the corres- ponding provisions and networks can preserve and reinforce their quality if plans are implemented carefully in collaboration with the parties involved and designed with a sense of location, material, and detail.

Spatial design proposalsFour promising clusters appear when the energy transition is coupled with economic development and spatial quality. The clusters bundle the economic activities that will ensure that the energy transition will take root in the city and the region of Groningen.

Four spatial design proposals elaborate the perspective that the energy transition can offer the Groningen Region:Energy Port: prospect for Eemshaven: center for offshore wind, biomass supply, buffering, and energy distribution.Biobased Economy for the North: prospect for Delfzijl as a ‘green’ industrial complex and the center of the biobased activity in the region.Groningen Smart Energy City: prospect for the Smart Energy City: the Ringstraat as a new urban environment.Sustainable and Safe Villages: prospect for a Sustainable and Safe Onderdendam: reparation, reinforcement and greening of homes.

The results of Atelier Groningen are elaborated in the brochure 'The Nordic City' which can be downloaded here.

Project Atelier Groningen is a collaboration of the IABR and an alliance of the Province of Groningen, the Municipality of Groningen, Eemsdelta Region and the Groningen-Assen Region. The atelier master is Jandirk Hoekstra (H+N+S Landscape Architects).

The research and design research has been done by the offices E&E Advies, Quintel Intelligence, van Paridon x de Groot (in collaboration with LINT), Maat Ontwerpers, the Atelier of the Chief Architect of the Municipality of Groningen (MD Landscape Architects, Specht Architects, Studio MARCHA!) and H+N+S Landscape Architects.

The IABR initiates and produces the Project Ateliers as a lead partner for the Regional and Local Design Dialogue Program, within the framework of the Ministry of Infrastructure and the Environment’s Action Agenda for Architecture and Spatial Design 2013–2016.

brochure

Energie transition as a driver for spatial and economic developmentThe results of Atelier Groningen are elaborated in the brochure 'The Nordic City' which can be downloaded below.

How can the transition from fossil to renewable energy be a driving force for the economic and spatial development of the city and region of Groningen? And what are the next steps in bringing the development perspectives towards implementation? IABR–Atelier Groningen will present the opportunities for economic and spatial development that present themselves when city and region act on the energy transition. Four development perspectives will be presented: the Biobased North, Energy Neutral Villages, Energy Port and Smart City Groningen.

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the complete research

A multidisciplinary team of research and design offices, working in the IABR–Atelier Groningen and under the guidance of Lead Designer Jandirk Hoekstra (H+N+S Landscape Architects), has collaboratively developed the new narrative of the Nordic City. It is a narrative that wants to rekindle local confidence, a prerequisite to drawing investments to the region, to realize the energy transition, to repair the earthquake damage and turn lost ground into a head start.

The results are summarized in the brochure 'The Nordic City' which can be downloaded here, and in the video, that you can watch here.

The Nordic City: The energy transition and the economic opportunities it offers

How can the transition from fossil to renewable energy be a string driving force for the economic and spatial development of the city and region of Groningen? And how to nourish these development perspectives into implementation? The IABR–Atelier Groningen explored the opportunities for economic and spatial development that present themselves when city and region act on the energy transition in Groningen, in the North of the Netherlands.

Four spatial design proposals are developed: Energy Port, Biobased Economy for the North, Groningen Smart Energy City and Sustainable and Safe Villages. Perspectives are based on a research by design driven exploration of the economic opportunities the transition to renewable energy offers by 2035, perspectives that indicate a future for Groningen as a coherent urban region ready for the Next Economy: the Nordic City. The economic effect of the energy transition becomes substantial when the connections are taken into account that the energy sector can make with other strong urban and regional economic sectors: agriculture, chemistry, knowledge institutes, ICT, and construction.

The film The Nordic City demonstrates that the prospects the energy transition offers Groningen are excellent when the region, the provincial capital and the villages together take the lead and when all public and private parties and stakeholders involved are serious about energy transition.

Project Atelier Groningen is a collaboration of the IABR and an alliance of the Province of Groningen, the Municipality of Groningen, Eemsdelta Region and the Groningen-Assen Region. The Lead Designer is Jandirk Hoekstra (H+N+S Landscape Architects).

The research and design has been executed by the following offices: E&E Advies, Quintel Intelligence, van Paridon x de Groot (in collaboration with LINT), Maat Ontwerpers, the Atelier of the Chief Architect of the Municipality of Groningen (with MD Landscape Architects, Specht Architects and Studio MARCHA!) and H+N+S Landscape Architects.

Keywords

Ongoing dialogue with local and regional stakeholders about the promising prospects the energy transition offers is high on the list of the agenda of IABR–Atelier Groningen. Therefore the outcomes and proposals are not only exhibited at IABR–2016–THE NEXT ECONOMY in Rotterdam, but also at different locations in Groningen.

The Nordic City, IABR–Atelier Groningen

picture: Jandirk Hoekstra

From mid May 2016, after a first debate about the outcomes of the Atelier at IABR–2016, The Nordic City travels throughout the Province and can be visited at the following locations: Onderdendam (16 t/m 29 May, Gereformeerde Kerk), Loppersum (30 May t/m 3 June, De Bibliotheek), Warffum (6 t/m10 June, Hogeland College), Appingedam (13 t/m 18 June, Franse School), Groningen (20 t/m 24 June, Transfuture Festival Entrance) and Delfzijl (29 June t/m 3 July, Delfsail), ending at display from September 12 onwards at the Provinciehuis in Groningen,

For updates and more information you may want to check this website again or contact Gerhard te Rijdt at the Province of Groningen.

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Public meetings with regional and local stakeholders are an integral part of the research and development trajectory of the IABR–Project Ateliers. In order to share and collaboratively develop knowledge and insights, the IABR and the Province of Groningen, the Municipality of Groningen, the Region Groningen-Assen and Eemsdelta\EZ, in collaboration with Platform GRAS, organize a series of working session in Groningen.

During each working session, one of the themes of energy, economy and space is at the centre of the discussion. Moderated by Jandirk Hoekstra (atelier master for IABR–Project Atelier Groningen and partner of H+N+S Landscape Architects), the debate will focus on the economic and spatial development opportunities that the energy transition offers the Groningen region. The insights developed during the sessions form input for the research by design trajectory that will start in the summer.

The three sessions are in Dutch. For more information, see the agenda.

The IABR–Project Atelier Groningen analyzes and represents the opportunities the region has to offer for the development of an economy based on renewable energy and reduced CO2 emissions. This economy will create employment for people with high as well as low levels of educational attainment; generate value and income for citizens, collectives and companies in the area; make optimal use of new technology in the field of energy and data, and yield new business environments for people and businesses.

Project Atelier Groningen is a collaboration of the IABR and an alliance of the Province of Groningen, the Municipality of Groningen, Eemsdelta Region and the Groningen-Assen Region. The atelier master is Jandirk Hoekstra (H+N+S Landscape Architects).